Caster.



R. P. HERON 6:; E. SABO.

(EASTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1909.

Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

R. P. HERON & E. SABO.

(FASTER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1909.

Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PUMP" 50., WAIHINGTDNI D. C-

R. P. HERON & E. SABO.

GASTBR.

APPLICATION FILED SE1T.23, 1909.

Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETS-$112111 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT IE. HERON AND EDMUND SABO, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT P. HERON and EDMUND SABo, citizens of the United States, and residents of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in casters and in sockets or retainers therefor,

one of its objects being to construct the easter in such a manner that the socket may be forced into the tube or other cavity therefor in the furniture and shipped in that position without injury, the horn and wheel being shipped separately and applied to the socket by the dealer or consumer. To make this possible the bearing balls are located. permanently on the horn, being secured by a ball retainer plate in the most advantageous positions on the horn plate. This is an improvement on the construction covered by the patent to Sabo, No. 888,040 in which the balls are located in the leg supporting plate and would therefore be subject to injury if shipped in position.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an improved leg supporting plate, and of an improved retainer for the caster.

The invention consists in a caster in which the balls form a permanent part of the horn, in the plate, and in the retainer construction, embodiments of all of which are described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, and which are more particularly pointed out in the appended claims which are designed to indicate generally the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the caster showing the preferred form of socket. Fig. 2 is a cross section of caster shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken through the center line of the retaining springs. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the horn and parts inseparably secured thereto. Fig. at is a top plan view of the leg supporting plate. Figs. 5, 6 and I are cross sections through the said leg supporting plate at different stages in its manufacture, Fig. 7 showing the completed plate, These figures are for convenience made to read in the same relation. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the completed leg supporting plate showing a groove in the circular rib. Fig. 9 is a cross section of the Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed September 23, 1909.

cAs'rELa.

Patented-June 2, 1914.

Serial No. 519,204.

plate shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is aplan, and Fig. 11 a cross section of a form of leg supporting plate which is useful in center bearing casters in which ball bearings are not employed. Fig. 12 is a perspective View of the retaining frame and the brace there for, these parts being shown in disassembled position. Fig. 13 shows the blank which is stamped up into the brace as-shown in other figures. This blank may be struck out in the same operation in which the brace is stamped up. Fig. 1 1 is a perspective view of another form of socket, and Fig. 15 is a cross section therethrough.

In these figures different forms of socket and fastening means are illustrated but the horn illustrated is the same, although obviously our retainer may be used with horns of various kinds. It will therefore be described first. The horn proper 1 carries the wheel 2, on the pin 3. On the horn plate 1 is permanently secured the ball retainer plate 5 having ball holding cavities formed by upwardly and inwardly slanting flanges 6 surrounding openings in the plate. lithin these cavities, of which there is a suitable number preferably three are rotatable members preferably balls 7. The pintle 8 extends through holes in said retainer plate and horn and has a shoulder 9 above the former. After these parts have been assembled and the washer 1O placed over the end of the pintle upon the under side of the horn plate, the pintle end is upset and the parts riveted firmly together forming a perinanent unitary structure. Three balls are sufiicient and their best location is with two in a line parallel with the axis of the roller and as nearly over it as possible in an offset caster. To make it certain that this relation cannot accidentally change in use, slight depressions 11 for the balls may be provided in the horn plate. I

The complete self contained unitary structure thus described may be used with sockets of various kinds. In the drawings two are illustrated. Of these we prefer that shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 12, the other being substantially that shown in the patent to Mathes, No. 927,061, July 6, 1909.

The preferred socket comprises the leg supporting plate 12, the socket tube 14', and the socket retaining frame made rigid by a cross piece constituting the brace 15. The retaining frame with its brace receives and centers the socket tube and being firmly secured to the leg supporting plate fastens the tube rigidly thereon and centers it with respect thereto. The leg supporting plate may be used with other retaining means although especially adapted to the retaining means shown and it may be used for other purposes in connection with a caster for example as a half wheel (before its upstanding flange is folded).

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2 and to Figs. t-ll it will be seen that a plate of great strength and wide range of usefulness has been provided. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a leg supporting plate adapted for use only with center bearing casters 2'. 6. those in which ball bearings are not employed. This plate is provided with radial strengthening ribs 16, with a center bearing 17, and with other features which are common also to the other forms of leg support-ing plates about to be described. The strengthening ribs just referred to are found to be advantageous, and the leg supporting plate illustrated in the other figures is designed to secure the utility of such strengthening ribs in a plate which may be used either for a ball bearing caster or for a center bearing caster. On looking at Figs. d and 8 it will be seen that the radial ribs are retained in this form of leg supporting plate but are modified somewhat by the presence of a circular rib 1S concentric ith the plate and constituting a bearing or track for the balls which, as above stated, are fixed upon the top plate of the horn. This circular rib may be provided with a groove 19 as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. These leg supporting plates are further strengthened and made to perform other functions by the provision of a flange of peculiar construction now to be described. Tn the manufacture of these plates they are struck out of a flat plate and the ribs, the inner flang 20 and the outer flange 21 are stamped at the same time. By a subsequent operation or operations the outer flange i1 is bent inward by a suitably beveled die into the position shown in Fig. 6, the inner flange being turned over to form the bead 17 as also illustrated in Fig. 6. The outer bent-in flange is then forced into the position shown in Fig. 7 by a smaller cylindrical die the lower part of the flange being folded over onto the plate at 23 and the free portion being substantially vertical to form an upstanding centering flange The plate thus formed is of great strength and coacts admirably either with the balls of the horn or with the center bearing on the pin and by reason of its flange construc: tion provides a supporting and centering means in the tubular furniture leg. The edge of the bottom of the plate is in the same plane as the projections on the bottom of the plate or in a plane beyond them to protect them from injury. The edge may be parallel with the face of the plate or may be bent outward slightly. This plate supports the retainer, and in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, we have shown the retainer as riveted to the said plate. The retainer consists of a plate bent into U-shape and having a base 25 provided with a central hole 26 which may be surrounded by an upwardly turned flange 27, with upstanding legs 28, and with down turned ends constituting springs 29 which are preferably bent a second time at 30 so that they are offsetand may be dished in the usual manner to enable the edges to coact with the furniture socket. In the two piece type of caster illustrated this plate sets over the socket tube l t, the flanged or beaded lower end of which 31 fits beneath the flange 27 and the retaining frame may be secured to the leg supporting plate in the manner shown by means of lugs preferably struck out from the material of which the retaining frame is composed and upset after being forced through holes in the plate or obviously lugs may be provided on the leg sup porting plate and riveted in holes in the re taining frame. Strength and rigidity is promoted by placing the holes in the plate slightly nearer together than the lugs so that the latter have to be sprung into position and exert, when in place, a horizontal grip..

Both inward and outward movement of V the upright portions of the U of the retainer is opposed by a transverse brace near the top of the retainer provided with means to effect this result. The single form of brac chosen for illustration may be described as a rigid box brace. It is stamped up from the blank shown in Fig. 1-3 and has the upright side flanges 35 and end flanges 36. The end flanges for strength are made wider than the side flanges and they are also longer so that the ends of the side flanges abut against the inner sides of the end flanges to prevent said end flanges from being forced back out of their proper position. The end flanges are provided with lugs 37 fitting in grooves or cut-outs 38 in the upstanding legs 28 of the retaining frame and folded tightly against the back of said legs. The brace has a hole 50 surrounded by an upright flange 51. The socket tube extends into this 7 readily by stamping up out of sheet metal. Another advantage of this arrangement in a caster of the two piece type is that the base and upstanding legs of the retaining frame are preferably made to fit snugly within the circular cup formed by the upstanding flange of the leg supporting plate so that the corners of the base and the edges of the legs are in close contact with the said flange while the base rests firmly upon the inner side of the leg supporting plate and holds the socket tube firmly in position. This tube is also kept in proper position by the box brace.

'While we prefer to use a socket of the kind just described we may employ other kinds of sockets such for example as the socket illustrated in Figs. 14: and 15, in which the leg supporting plate 39 is provided with the ball groove or track 40 and has its edge beaded over at 41 to retain in position the socket tube 14; and the retaining frame 43. This socket is the subject of the patent to Mathes, No. 927,061 and need not be described at length in this application. It is suflicient to say that the retaining frame is stamped out of flat sheet metal and consists of a base plate 44: having upstanding legs 45 on which are bent back spring portions 46. These legs and springs are pre vented from being forced too far in by the abutment plate 47 which is provided with tongues 48 each of which coacts with a slot 49 in the corresponding upstanding leg.

Our socket is radically new in combining an absolutely rigid frame, plate and socket tube, with resilient means to hold the same releasably within a tubular leg. A firm unyielding backing is provided for the springs. In the embodiment of the invention which we have illustrated, the rest of the caster including the bearing balls is a unitary structure removable from the socket as such. It is also new in providing an open retaining frame, whether rigid or otherwise, comprising a U-shaped plate which has down-turned resilient ends for co-action with the interior of the tubular leg, and a transverse brace provided with means for opposing both inward ,and outward movement of the upright portions of the U.

While we have described the. socket as comprising a rigid retaining frame rigidly secured to the socket plate, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves solely to a construction in which these parts are fastened together or in which a socket tube is employed, nor do we wish to be understood as implying by the use of the word socket that the pintle and the parts carried thereby are necessarily removable from the socket.

hat we claim as our invention is- 1. The combination with a caster Wheel, horn and pintle, of bearing balls on said horn, and a ball retaining plate having eavities through which individual balls project, said pintle being secured to the horn and having a shoulder above said plate co-acting therewith to hold it with the balls permanently on the born.

2. The combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, said horn having a top plate, of spaced balls on said plate, and a retainer plate on the top plate having open cavities receiving and retaining said balls and through which they project, said pintle having means to secure said parts together in a definite invariable relation.

3. The combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, of bearing balls on said horn, and a ball retaining plate having cavities through which individual balls project, said pintle having a shoulder above said plate and having its end upset underneath the horn to fasten the parts named together in fixed, permanent relation, said horn having depressions in its top plate, two of which are 'in a line parallel with the axis of the wheel and well forward toward the vertical plane therethrough.

4. A retainer for casters for tubular legs having a leg supporting plate, and a rigid frame provided with retaining springs exterior thereto extending lengthwise of the leg and presenting an edge to the interior of the leg lengthwise thereof.

5. In combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, a leg supporting plate and a rigid open frame above the plate having upright sides bent back upon themselves to form retaining springs exterior to said frame.

6. A socket for casters for tubular legs having a leg supporting plate, an open rigid frame carried thereby, and a socket tube, said frame having spring extensions exterior thereto.

7. A retainer for casters for tubular legs having a leg supporting plate and a retaining frame comprising a U-shaped plate having downwardly turned resilient ends, and a brace rigidly connecting the legs of the U slightly below the turns and making the frame rigid.

8. A retainer for casters for tubular legs comprising a leg supporting plate, a frame above said Jlate havin u astandin le s b t; b 7

and a box brace rigidly connecting said upstanding legs near their tops, said legs above the brace being returned on themselves to constitute springs.

9. A retainer for casters for tubular legs comprising a leg supporting plate, a frame thereon having upstanding legs, said frame and plate being sprung together and riveted in place, and a box brace rigidly connecting said upstanding legs near their tops, said legs above the brace being returned on themselves to constitute springs.

10. A retainer for casters for tubular legs having a leg supporting plate provided with an upstanding internal centering flange, a frame fitting snugly within said flange having upstanding legs and having lugs sprung into holes in said plate and upset to rivet the two parts together, a brace connecting the legs rigidly, and retaining springs on the frame external thereto.

11. A retainer for casters for tubular legs having a leg supporting plate, an open rigid frame above said plate having upstanding legs, and a plate constituting a brace having end flanges in contact with the sides of the frame and secured thereto by the infolded ends of said end flanges, the said legs of the said frame above the brace being returned on themselves and constituting retaining springs.

12. In a socket for casters for tubular legs a rigid retaining frame having upstanding legs, a box brace connecting said legs rigidly, having upright end flanges in contact with the inside of said upstanding legs and secured thereto by the extended inturned ends of said end flanges and having upright side flanges whose ends abut upon the end flanges, a socket plate, and a socket tube concentric therewith extending upwardly within the rigid frame and through the brace, said parts being firmly secured together.

13. A box brace for caster retaining frames consisting of a plate having a cen tral hole for the pintle, and substantially vertical side and end flanges, the end flanges projecting beyond the side flanges.

14L. A retainer for casters for tubular legs comprising a leg supporting plate, a rigid open frame having near its upper end a cross piece, said frame having in its bottom and in said cross piece vertically alined holes registering with a hole in the plate, a socket tube for receiving the pintle, said frame, plate and tube being secured together with the tube in registry with the holes, and springs exterior to the frame acting resiliently outward against the interior of the tubular leg.

15. The combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, of a retainer for casters for tubular legs comprising a leg supporting plate, a substantially rectangular open frame above the leg supporting plate having near its upper end a cross piece constituting a brace secured to the sides of the frame, the leg supporting plate, the bottom of the frame and the cross piece having alined holes through which the pintle passes, and springs exterior to said frame formed by returning the sides of the frame on themselves, said springs acting resiliently outward against the interior of the tubular leg to retain the caster detachably within the tubular leg.

16. The combination with a caster wheel,

horn and pintle, of a leg supporting plate, an open retaining frame above the leg supporting plate comprising a U-shaped plate through a hole in the bottom of which the pintle passes and which has down-turned resilient ends for co-action with the interior of the tubular leg, and a brace through a hole in which the pintle passes, which connects the legs of the U near the turns, and which has a part facing the inside of each leg of the U and constituting an obstacle to inward movement, and a part facing the outside of each leg of the U and constituting an obstacle to outward movement.

17. A caster for tubular legs comprising in combination with a caster wheel, horn, leg supporting plate and means for connecting the same, a retainer comprising a U-shaped plate above the leg supporting plate and having downturned resilient ends for coaction with the interior of the tubular leg, and a brace connecting the legs of the U near the turns and having a part facing the inside of each leg of the U and constituting an obstacle to inward movement, and a part facing the outside of each leg of the U and constituting an obstacle to outward move ment.

18. The combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, of a leg supporting plate, two upstanding le 's secured to the plate at opposite sides of the pintle and having down-turned resilient free ends for co-action with the interior of the tubular leg, and a brace having a part facing the inside of each leg and constituting an obstacle to inward movement, and a part facing the outside of each leg and constituting an obstacle to outward movement.

19. A socket for casters for tubular legs comprising a plate having a central hole, a socket tube having a flange and registering with said hole, a retaining frame having a base with a central hole the edge of which is raised to accommodate the flange of the socket tube, and means to fasten said frame, tube and plate rigidly together, said frame having upstanding legs, a rigid brace connecting said legs and having a hole into which the socket tube projects, the upstanding legs having their edges cut out and said brace being provided with portions fitting said cut out places to hold the plate from vertical movement and the legs of the frame from horizontal movement, the said legs being returned on themselves above the brace to form springs.

20. In a caster, a platehaving a circular rib forming a track and radial strengthening ribs extending to the circular rib.

21. In a caster, a leg supporting plate having its outer edge folded down upon itself to form a reinforced leg supporting edge and an upstanding centering flange for coaction with the interior of the tubular leg,

and a bearing surface projecting from the bottom of said plate, said edge projecting to or beyond the plane of the projecting bearing surface.

22. A socket for ball hearing or center bearing casters having a sockettube and a plate having a central hole to register with the socket tube and having the edge of the hole headed over to form a center bearing, and a circular rib projecting from the bottom of said plate to form a ball track, said plate being provided With a projecting edge to protect the parts within it.

23. In a caster, a leg supporting plate having its outer edge folded down upon itself to lorm a reinforced leg supporting edge and an upstanding centering flange for coaction with the interior of the tubular leg, said plate having a central hole for the pintle and having a bearing surface.

24:. The combination with a caster wheel, horn and pintle, of a leg supporting plate, an open retaining frame above the leg supporting plate having upright legs returned on themselves exterior to the frame to form spring wings and secured together by a brace crossing the pintle near its top and through a hole in which the pintle passes.

25. The combination With a caster wheel,

horn and pintle, of a leg supporting plate, an open retaining frame above the leg supporting plate comprising a U-shaped plate, through a hole in the bottom of which the pintle passes and which has down-turned resilient ends for co-action with the interior of the tubular leg, and a transverse brace through a hole in which the top of the pintle passes and which is provided with means for opposing both inward and outward movement of the upright portions of the U.

26. A caster for tubular legs comprising in combination with a caster Wheel, horn, leg supporting plate and means for connect ing the same, a retainer comprising a U- shaped plate above the leg supporting plate and having downturned resilient ends for coaction with the interior of the tubular leg, and atransverse brace near the top of the U provided with means for opposing both inward and outward movement of the upright portions of the U.

Signed by us at Syracuse, N. 1 this 20th day of September, 1909.

ROBERT P. HERON. EDMUND SABO. Witnesses RAE KAPLAN, FRANK R. Lennon.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. U. 

